London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – John Prescott, the former UK’s Deputy Prime Minister, has passed away at the age of 86 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. A key player in Tony Blair’s New Labour government, Prrescoot was remembered for his blunt political style.
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown paid tributes to John Prescott on Thursday, following the news of his peaceful death at a care home after his battle with Alzheimer’s.
Prescott served as deputy prime minister for more than ten years under Tony Blair, he was regarded as a guardian of the Labour Party’s traditional values against Blair’s modern leadership.
He played a key role as a mediator between Blair and Brown, John Prescott managed government policy on the environment, transport, and regional developments, including negotiating the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.
Mr Pressoct was known for his short temper, he made headlines in 2001 when he punched a protester who threw an egg at him during an election campaign visit in north Wales.
Blair calls Prescott a key figure in Labour’s success
As reported by The Guardian, Blair told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme “He was one of the most talented people I ever encountered in politics. One of the most committed and loyal, and definitely the most unusual … There were no rules he really abided by”.
Blair released a statement “There was nothing about John which fitted conventional wisdom. He was from proud traditional working-class stock yet understood instinctively and completely the aspirations of that class and their desire to better themselves”.
Mr Blair added, “He could talk in the bluntest and sometimes bluest language, but it concealed a first-rate intellect which meant he thought as deeply about issues as much as he cared about them. It is no exaggeration to say the Labour Party could never have won three consecutive full terms without John. He was a commanding presence”.
Brown remembers Prescott as a “Titan” and “Gentleman”
Gordon Brown described Prescott as both a “titan” and a “gentleman” and said, “despite an outwardly deceptive image of uncompromising toughness, he was generous, believing in the good in everyone”.
He added, “John Lennon said the working-class hero is a difficult thing to be, but I think John would be just fine with being remembered that way. He wanted the good things in life for everyone and not just himself. And he showed that Britain can be a country where if you work hard you can fill your potential”.
While speaking on the Today programme, Mr Brown said “Britain has got this image around the world of an aristocratic and still unreformed and sometimes deferential and hierarchical society. John broke through all this. John gave people who were starting from low-income backgrounds the sense that they could achieve something and achieve something right to the point of deputy prime minister – it’s something that [the deputy prime minister] Angela Rayner talks about now, to her great credit”.
Mandelson recalls Prescott’s advice on early career
Peter, a member of the House of Lords and a key figure in the Labour government revealed that he worked for Prescott in his 20s and that Prescott later provided a reference for his application to become the party’s campaign and communications director.
Mr Mandelson said, “What he said to me at the time was: ‘Peter I’ll do this for you. You’ll do a job. Well, you’ll do a reasonable job; you might as well do it. You’ve got to keep your nose out of politics’”.
“I said: ‘John, I’m wanting to be the campaign director of the Labour party’. He said: ‘You know what I mean. You keep your nose out of politics and stop stirring things up. Just do a job and then that will be fine’”.
What does Keir Starmer say about Peter?
Keir Starmer, the prime minister, called Prescott “a true giant” of the Labour movement.
He said, “His passion, force of personality and pride in his working-class roots was key to his authenticity – an honesty that was recognised and respected across the political divide and across the nation”.
Prescott family pays tribute
Prescott’s wife, Pauline, and sons Johnathan and David said he had died “surrounded by the love of his family and the jazz music of Marian Montgomery” and that representing the people of Hull had been “his greatest honour”.
“John spent his life trying to improve the lives of others, fighting for social justice and protecting the environment, doing so from his time as a waiter on the cruise liners to becoming Britain’s longest-serving deputy prime minister”.